Coronado adds golf to 100-year celebration

Tony Azevedo, second row top right, of the United States gestures as he sits on the bench with teammates Layne Beaubien, top left, Adam Wright, front left, and Ryan Bailey during their men's water polo preliminary round match against Hungary at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
— AP

Tony Azevedo, second row top right, of the United States gestures as he sits on the bench with teammates Layne Beaubien, top left, Adam Wright, front left, and Ryan Bailey during their men's water polo preliminary round match against Hungary at the 2012 Summer Olympics, Monday, Aug. 6, 2012, in London. (AP Photo/Alastair Grant)
/ AP

A parade, bike ride, 15K run, rough water swim, a concert, topped off by a fireworks show are just a part of the patriotic festivities.

"There are so many people on this island on the Fourth, I'm surprised it doesn't sink," said former Coronado High golf great Brian Smock.

With the celebration of the 100-year anniversary of Coronado High, this year's activities will be taken to another level with the first Islander Invitational Golf Tournament, a shotgun scramble format event slated for July 3 on the Coronado Municipal Golf Course.

"The city of Coronado does a great job supporting its athletic programs, both at the high school and middle school.

"And while this is a celebration of sports on Coronado, we want to invite non-Islanders to join us and experience our hospitality."

Like everyone else, the Foundation needs help in funding those programs.

"Across California, funds are being cut," said Coronado superintendent Jeff Felix, a star on Escondido High's 1969 San Diego Section football championship team.

"Honestly, this community reminds me of Escondido in the late '60s. The community spirit is awesome.

"Across the board this coming year, school groups are being asked to come up with 100 of something ... shoes, cans of food, that kind of thing ... for charity.

"And I think it will be a huge success."

The Islanders have had a ton of success in athletics.

The boys water polo program has produced four Olympians ... Layne Beaubien, Genai Kerr, Jesse Smith and Tommy Corcoran.

"We always play an alumni game on the July 4 weekend," said Islanders water polo coach Randy Burgess. "A couple of years ago, we had 12 USA National Team members in the water at the same time for our alumni game."

The Islanders have won 17 boys water polo titles and had 17 San Diego Section Players of the Year.

Since 1997, the girls water polo team has won six San Diego Section titles and had three Players of the Year.

The boys golf team won the San Diego Section championship this season, the first in the program's 50 years.

"The Coronado golf course lends itself to the youth of the community," said Smock, who went on to play professionally on the Nationwide Tour and now teaches golf to the high school and middle school players.

"The kids get great instruction, and it's affordable to play.

"We have a Camp Coronado program that gives the kids an hour of golf, an hour of tennis and then boogie boarding.

"That's awesome because the high school has so many multi-sport kids."

Smock also played football and soccer for the Islanders.

Coronado athletic director Robin Nixon was a multi-sport athlete at the high school.

City mayor Casey Tanaka was a baseball player.

"Our city comes alive on July 4," Tanaka said. "Our Sports Foundation does a great job. And the golf course is the most-affordable around, and it's a fair course for the average golfer.

"What I love is the all-class Alumni Reunion on July 3.

"We've been doing that for a couple of decades. We get people from the '50s up to the kids who graduated in June.

"It's an awesome event. The Foundation saw a need for something a little more. And that's how the golf tournament took root."